Chapter 36: Oracle Boot Camp
August 23
Makoto: Futaba, can you open up?
Futaba: Open what?
Yusuke: The front door.
Futaba: Why?
Makoto: Won't you come too, Ren? We're in front of Futaba's house.
Futaba: You wanna meet here… and not at Leblanc?
Makoto: Isn't that more comforting?
Futaba: Y-Y-You never mentioned this.
Loona: Hey, I'm in the area. Want me to help out?
Futaba: …Fine, you can be here too.
Makoto: It would be nice if you could hurry down soon. It's scorching hot out here.
Futaba: You demon…!
Loona: No, that's me lol.
The four Phantom Thieves soon found themselves in Futaba's room (along with Morgana, of course- he was always by Ren's side), with the hacker girl wearing a strange mask as she turned away from the gang. "…What is that supposed to be?" Makoto asked.
"Don't worry about it," Futaba said.
"Such avant garde design. You have excellent taste," Yusuke complimented.
Futaba gave a laugh as she spun in her chair. Loona just rolled her eyes and took off the girl's mask, making Futaba flush and turn back around. "How about we get started?" she suggested. Yusuke noticed something off to the side of the room and started fiddling with it as the hellhound turned to Makoto, "So, what's the plan, Queen?"
"I'd like to simply have a normal conversation. That is the basis of true communication, after all," Makoto explained.
"You seem confident," Ren noted.
Makoto nodded. "Yes. You must be well-versed in speaking when you are student council president. Don't think too hard about our conversation. We're just going to talk about ordinary topics today."
"And what do you mean by ordinary topics?" Yusuke asked.
"You know, things like food or the weather," Makoto elaborated. "Well then, let's being with food. What do you like to eat, Futaba?"
"Organic ones," Futaba answered.
"Um, that wasn't exactly what I meant…" Makoto said. Futaba gave a nervous noise. "L-Let's try a different topic! How about the weather? I heard that this heat wave is showing no sign of stopping…"
"Dunno. I haven't been out," Futaba shook her head.
"Should've seen that one coming," Loona chuckled. "She's a shut-in; did you think that Futaba would care about the weather?"
Makoto winced. "O-Oh, right…"
"Makoto's getting overwhelmed…" Morgana noted.
"Th-This is odd… It wasn't supposed to go like this…" Makoto fretted.
Loona glanced over at Yusuke. "Yo, Yusuke, what are you doing over there? You haven't been talking for a while now."
"…Ah, superb," Yusuke said, off in his own world. He shifted to the side to reveal that he had been messing with some of Futaba's action figures their body parts all swapped around now and put into ridiculous poses. "Some of their heads came off when I was moving them, but I made sure to rearrange them pleasingly."
"Those poses…" Ren mused. "Maybe we should do poses before we battle."
"Not a chance," Loona shook her head, playfully batting their leader on the head.
Futaba let out a scream of despair. "M-My children… Wh-What have you done… to my children?"
"The appear to be quite shoddily-made," Yusuke said bluntly.
"They're from "Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman"!" Futaba wailed in despair. "No… Yellow and Pink's heads… And Red's been hacked to bits… This is all Inari's fault…"
"Inari?" Yusuke repeated.
"You know, inari sushi? The tofu things foxes eat in the old stories? What kind of Fox doesn't know that?" Futaba said angerly.
"Inari…" Yusuke said again, his gaze narrowing.
Futaba growled, "They were in the perfect poses too! It was so much work getting them set up just right! You wouldn't know aesthetics if it hit you in the face, Inari!"
"H-How dare you say that to me of all people!?" Yusuke shouted.
"Sheesh, that's not a conversation anymore… it's a full-blown argument," Morgana shook his head.
"Yeah…" Makoto sighed.
Loona rolled her eyes, before getting between the two. "Okay, let's not fight over Yusuke being an idiot and touching other people's stuff without asking, all right? Futaba, show me how to fix these things so we can get this drama over with…" The hellhound took one of the figures in her hands before giving a hum. "You know, why don't you tell us about these "Featherman" guys?"
"…Okay," Futaba said, taking the figure from Loona as the two went about fixing them. Futaba told the team her extensive knowledge about the Featherman franchise, while also explaining how to properly pose and display the figures. Loona wouldn't say it was the most interesting topic to her, but the hellhound knew that getting Futaba to talk about stuff she liked was the key here- after all, Loona was much the same at times.
"I see… So their versatility allows you to recreate almost any dramatic scene you can imagine," Yusuke said.
"Mm-hm. Victory is great for action, and Neo's got the best transforming suit. So cool," Futaba said.
"Fascinating. Art depicts a flash of inspiration, but models offer a much different means of enjoyment," Yusuke mused.
"Now I'm curious to see what the show looks like in action…" Loona admitted.
"Oh, I can pull up some fight compilation videos if you want!" Futaba offered.
"Huh? Take a look at that- Futaba's having a regular conversation," Morgana said.
"It seem she doesn't have a problem talking to others as long as the subject interests her," Makoto noted. "I suppose the topics I brought up were not the right ones."
"So this is all I gotta do? What a breeze!" Futaba said.
"In that case, we should advance to the next step," Yusuke said. "How about we have her spend time in someone else's room?"
"Yes. She hasn't got many chances to leave the house yet, so that would be the perfect opportunity," Makoto agreed.
"Don't set the bar so high!" Futaba said nervously.
"We'll all be there too," Ren assured her.
Futaba looked down. "W-Well, I guess in that case…"
"I've left tomorrow to Ann and Ryuji," Makoto explained. "Ren will be there as well, so you'll be okay."
Futaba looked up at her mask on the shelf, before her gaze instead turned to Loona. "Can she be there as well?"
Loona looked surprised by the question. "I mean, I can if you want… Don't know why you'd want me there, though."
"Because you're a demon, and a cool one at that," Futaba said. "Plus I want to see how that fluffy tail of yours feels…"
Loona flushed and grabbed her tail. "H-Hey, no touching my tail, got it!? Or you can forget about me coming over tomorrow."
"There's really no telling how tomorrow's going to go…" Morgana sighed.
Ryuji: Dude, people're so pumped! They're talking about how the Phantom Thieves took down DHORKS. Mishima's website has a shitton of comment flooding in too!
Ann: The news coverage has been pretty insane as well!
Octavia: Yeah, they're all only talking about the Phantom Thieves and it's been like this all day. We've been getting attention all over the city.
Ryuji: So… how's the one who helped us take DHORKS down doing?
Collin: Futaba!
Futaba: My Phoenix Rangers almost met their demise…
Collin: Uh… can I get some context for that one?
Ren: It was Yusuke's fault.
Loona: You just got called out, Inari!
Makoto: Don't complicate things further! Anyway, things didn't go perfectly, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.
Yusuke: Tomorrow's goal will be to spend time in someone else's room. Futaba is a difficult personality to handle. Good luck, you two.
Futaba: Shut it, Inari.
Loona: Yeah, Inari!
Octavia: Loona has another colorful nickname for one of you guys. Joy…
Collin: Wait, does she have one for all of us!?
Octavia: I'll DM you later about it, Collin…
Loona: Sell-out.
Ryuji: All right, it's our turn next! Seeya tomorrow, Futaba!
Ann: We have so much to talk about! Ooh, I can't wait!
[***]
August 24
"We're here!" Loona called as she, Ann, and Ryuji entered Leblanc the next day.
"Sorry we're late. We were out buying stuff and I got a little caught up in what to get," Ann apologized.
"So many snacks… What exactly do you plan on doing!?" Morgana asked.
"Well, summer vacation's the time when you lounge around in your room all day," Ryuji said.
"Yeah, and eating snacks is the best part of that!" Ann added.
"You're both gonna get fat if you eat all of this, you know," Loona chuckled. "Just like Moxxie."
"Shut it!" Ann and Ryuji shouted at the same time.
"He's one of your dad's employees, right?" Ren recalled. "But none of them looked to be overweight…"
"It's a whole thing between us, Ren, you wouldn't get it," Loona rolled her eyes. "Hey, where's Futaba?"
"You have done well in coming here," Futaba said, emerging with her creepy mask on.
"Wh-Whoa!" Ryuji screamed. "Shit freaked me out… That you, Futaba?"
"Yup. Welcome," Futaba greeted.
"Why are you wearing that?" Ann asked.
"Habit," Futaba replied. "Anyway, bring it!"
"Not sure I get it… but let's do this!" Ryuji said with a grin.
"After you take this thing off," Loona said, pulling off Futaba's mask and tossing it into one of the booths. The hacker gave a squeak and hid behind the hellhound.
"Sheesh. Looks like today's going to be another noisy day…" Morgana shook his head.
The all soon moved up to Ren's room, opening up the snacks and enjoying their time together. Futaba made a point of sitting close to Loona, the hellhound quietly swatting her hand whenever Futaba tried to grab her tail. "For real, it was freaking amazing! There were girls all over me!" Ryuji exclaimed. "…Wait. You don't believe a word I'm saying, do ya?"
"What do you think?" Loona scoffed.
"Uh, it's you we're talking about here," Ann said. "There's no way you were ever a chick magnet."
"What was that?" Ryuji said.
"Agreed. As a member of the opposite sex, I sense no charm from you, Ryuji," Futaba said matter-of-factly.
"Hah, burn!" Loona laughed.
"Plus, popular guys wouldn't go bragging about that stuff to other people," Morgana added.
The day went on as their conversations continued. "I keep wondering if I should do it while I'm still young… but the dresses show a lot of skin, right?" Ann said. "…Hey, are you even listening!?"
"There's no point talking about wedding dresses right now. None of us have significant others," Ryuji sighed.
"Yep. I'm not getting married anytime soon," Futaba nodded.
"Can we please talk about something else!?" Morgana groaned.
The hellhound shook her head at her friends' antics. "You know, Futaba's even better than yesterday at having conversations."
"Yeah, she doesn't have any trouble speaking her mind. Just like you, Loona," Ann said. "Seems totally normal to me."
"I dunno what normal is… But if this is it, I'm happy," Futaba smiled.
"I totally thought you were gonna be some weirdo, but I guess all that worrying was for nothing," Ryuji admitted.
"Mm-hm, I'm relieved too. I think things should keep going smoothing at this rate," Ann agreed. "By the way, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"
"How about we have her try helping around the café?" Morgana suggested.
"That's perfect! It'll be good practice to have her up in front of strangers," Ann said.
Futaba gave a squeak. "Nope, nope, nope! Showing up in the shop at lunchtime'll be like, super-crushing hard mode!"
"You don't have to deal with the customers if you don't want to," Loona assured her. "You can just be in the back cleaning off dishes."
Futaba gave some noises of discontent. "I'll be there too," Ren said.
"…I'd be mad if you weren't," Futaba pouted.
"Then it's all set. We'll be rooting for you, Futaba!" Ryuji cheered.
Futaba growled, and Loona swore it had a bit of demonic inflection to it. "You're all gonna pay for this someday…"
Ryuji: Our popularity's though the roof! You guys gotta hear this! This cute chick said she wants to go out with a phantom thief!
Ann: But not you specifically, huh?
Futaba: No surprised. As a member of the opposite sex, I sense no charm from you, Ryuji.
Ryuji: You don't gotta say it over text too!
Makoto: What in the world were you all doing today…?
Loona: Shooting the shit and eating snacks. Typical teen stuff.
Yusuke: So she's competed her objective for the day.
Ann: Next up is practice going out in front of people.
Futaba: Wait, WHAT!?
Octavia: You'll be fine. Ren will be with you the whole time. I'm planning to stop by as well. We want to ease you into it, so your first test will be helping out at Leblanc.
Loona: I'll be there too, so you've got my support.
Collin: Good luck you guys!
Ren: We got it.
Futaba: Thanks for the help.
[***]
Hifumi: How's your availability today? Would you care for a match? I'm here at the church again today.
Ren: I'll be right there.
Hifumi: Thank you very much. OK, I'll be waiting.
When Ren got to the church, he found Collin and Hifumi already doing a few practice matches against each other. "Um, do you have some time today?" Hifumi asked him. "I'd like to request a match with you."
"Any time," Ren nodded.
Hifumi smiled as she reset the board, Collin moving over to let Ren sit down. "Thank you. I look forward to it." As the two played, the shogi match soon reached its inevitable conclusion. "Hahaha… you have been defeated! The battlefield is mine… The Ultimate Togo Kingdom is complete."
"She took all of your pieces… Hifumi left you utterly defeated," Collin noted.
"You didn't have to voice it out loud…" Ren sighed.
"But to think you could stay standing after being struck by my Silver infinity Sword… You've improved, considering that you endured the Climbing Silver so early in the match," Hifumi mused. "The determination I'm sensing from you is a real inspiration. I must think of a new move… I'm afraid you'll surpass me one day, if I don't stay sharp."
Her face became more serious. "The exhibition match against the pro my mother was talking about has been confirmed. He's a very famous shogi player. I'm aiming to be the first women to reach the pro ranking league. I'm sure it will draw a lot of attention, especially after that article… However, I don't intend to lose. This is my chance to display my true skills. I confess I am a bit scared, though."
"It may come down to luck," Collin nodded.
"You're right," Hifumi nodded. "However, that also means I have a chance at winning, even though my opponent is ranked higher. To be honest, I'm not sure how well my skills will hold up against a true professional… But I'm sick of being treated like an idol. I have to show them what I'm made of!"
"I believe in you," Ren said.
"And we're gonna cheer you on with our support!" Collin added, pumping a fist in the air.
"…Thank you," Hifumi smiled. "So, um… there's a move I want to try out. Would you like to play another match…?"
"Yeah," Ren nodded.
"Thank you very much," Hifumi gave a small bow. "Strategically place your pieces in the enemy's zone to increase your chances of getting gold. Be sure to use that tactic in your next match. For today, try and steal the pieces you want from me."
'I feel her trust in us growing…' Collin thought.
"Well then, let's begin the match…" Hifumi said, making her first move. "I hereby place this golden mantle upon your shoulders. Don it with pride… Come, Lightning Metamorphosis Gold Promotion!" The three played through the evening, enjoying their time testing out different shogi tactics.
[***]
August 25
Loona and Octavia arrived at Leblanc early the next day, finding Ren and Futaba were already discussing matters with Sojiro. "You want me to let Futaba help out around the shop?" Sojiro questioned. "But I've never had her do anything like that before. Is she gonna be okay?"
"We'll be there for her," Ren assured him.
"This isn't the same as taking care of a cat, you know?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow.
"D-Don't worry. I did graduate middle school last year…" Futaba pointed out. "I-I'll be fine if I just think of thins as my first summer job of high school!"
"Well in that case… how about you wash the dishes?" Sojiro said. "Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"Any ways we can help, Boss?" Octavia asked. "And don't worry about compensating us; we just want to help Futaba be more sociable."
"Not much room for all of you to work back here…" Sojiro muttered. "How about you two just assist Ren whenever I'm out. I'm sure just being her for Futaba is enough."
"Works for us," Loona shrugged. The quartet soon got to work, with Ren cooking up some curry and Futaba doing the dishes. The hacker gave a squeak of fright at one point after dropping something.
"Hey, are you all right?" Sojiro asked, coming over to help.
It was then that a customer came in the door. "The usual, Boss. Extra strong," the customer said.
"Sure thing," Sojiro replied. "…Keep an eye on Futaba for me," he muttered to Ren.
"You okay?" Ren asked her.
"Oui, oui!" Futaba laughed nervously.
"You don't speak French," Octavia pointed out.
"H-How do you know I don't!?" Futaba shot back.
"She a new part-timer?" the customer asked. "Man, smooth as always. What number Bond girl is this, Boss?"
"It's not like that," Sojiro sighed.
"You usually go for the older ones, right? It's only natural you'd want someone younger sometimes," the customer went on. "It's like the Guatemala Peaberry coffee. Its acidic sweetness is akin to a breath of fresh air."
"That's his daughter, jackass!" Loona said in a raised voice, getting the customer to clam up.
Futaba put his coffee down in front of him with a bit of force, making him jump. "Here's your coffee."
"Please be more polite when you're bringing something to a customer," Sojiro chided. "That goes for you as well, Loona."
"Uh… H-here's your coffee, sir," Futaba said nervously.
"A-Ah… thanks," the customer said, nervous about his pervious words. The guy took a sip of his coffee before his eyes went wide in shock. "Uh, I just remembered that I have something to- ugh, I really gotta go!" The man then ran out the door, hands between his legs.
"What was that all about?" Sojiro raised an eyebrow.
"I may have put something special in his coffee before Futaba served it," Octavia whispered to Ren. "And let's just say that he's going to be on the toilet for a long time today."
"Nice," Ren replied, giving his cousin a small fist bump.
"Did you see!? I did my job right!" Futaba said.
"You did great," Loona said, ruffling her hair a bit.
"Huh. Turns out this is pretty easy," Futaba said. "Wish I had my mask, though… That was nerve-wracking."
"I may have also snuck into her room last night to hide that thing where she wouldn't find it," Loona whispered to Ren. Later that day, a certain peacock demon would let out a scream that made all of his servants panic after he found a creepy mask had been placed in his bathroom by a certain owl prince and his favorite imp.
"To think Futaba'd go out and talk to a customer herself… I'm impressed," Sojiro complimented. "Looks like people really can change."
"Sojiro! Want me to bring coffee to more customers?" Futaba asked.
"As long as you're up for it," Sojiro smiled.
"Yes, let's do it!" Futaba cheered.
Yusuke: Did anyone here share information about our real identities?
Loona: Like Hell we'd do that!
Makoto: Why the question?
Yusuke: I overheard someone in the city saying they're our acquaintance.
Futaba: Talk about false rumors.
Ryuji: But hey, at least we're famous enough to HAVE rumors about us! We might even break into the news online! Or maybe TV!
Ren: Yeah, if we get caught.
Ann: Well… Yeah…
Octavia: I thought Akechi already talked about us on TV…
Ryuji: Ugh, don't remind me of that guy…
Makoto: By the way, how did today go?
Futaba: I served coffee to customers!
Ren: She did good.
Collin: That's great, Futaba!
Ryuji: Anyways, you better get used to it fast. You can't be a phantom thief if you're scared of people!
Futaba: I'll try my best.
[***]
August 26
Ann: I'm out shopping with Makoto and Collin. We'll head over when we're done.
Makoto: Honestly, I wanted to bring Futaba long with us…
Ann: We can't just take her into crowds like that though! That'd be way too soon!
Makoto: Sometimes drastic measures are necessary.
Futaba: Such spikey words…
Makoto: You know you'll need to do this someday, right?
Futaba: Actually, Queen's clothes have lots of spikes too. They'd prolyl pierce my hand if I touched them.
Yusuke: I've honestly considered that possibility as well.
Collin: Can her spikes pierce my hooves…?
Makoto: Not you too, Yusuke and Collin!
Ryuji: Hey this sounds like fun. I wanna join in.
Ann: We're talking to Futaba! This doesn't involve you!
Futaba: Note: Ann is cold to Ryuji.
Ann: Don't take notes on this… Anyway, look forward to us coming over!
Futaba: My heart's pounding…
"Today's the fourth day already. You getting a little better at dealing with other people?" Loona asked Futaba.
Futaba hummed, "I dunno. I can't really tell."
"People cannot change their deep-seated habits that easily," Yusuke stated.
"Well, let's just day you've made some progress for now," Morgana said. Futaba went over and pinched his cheeks. "Ack! S-Stop it! You're gonna pull my cheeks off!"
"Man, those girl're late. Who do they think they are, making us wait like this?" Ryuji groaned.
"They have Collin with them too," Octavia pointed out.
"Hello," Ann greeted as she came in.
"P-Please excuse us," Collin added as he came in with Makoto. The trio soon came up stairs to join the rest of the gang.
"Apologies for the lateness. We were looking at multiple items and weren't sure which to choose," Makoto said.
"Looking? Looking at what?" Morgana asked.
"A swimsuit, of course. For Futaba-chan," Ann replied.
"A-A s-s-swimsuit!?" Futaba stuttered.
"You could have told me that before you dragged me along it help out…" Collin sighed, blushing a bit from the experience.
"You don't have one, do you?" Ann asked.
"No, but…" Futaba looked down.
"Okay. Let's have you try it on right now then," Ann said.
"N-N-N-Now!?" Futaba stuttered.
"You can't go to the beach if you don't have a good-fitting swimsuit," Ann stated. "We don't have much time left, you know."
"Uh, but… um… uh!" Futaba was a jittering mess now.
Makoto stared sternly at the boys. "You know what'll happen if you try and look… right?" The boys all looked at each other in exasperation as they went downstairs to wait for the girls to finish. "Oh wow, it's perfect. I'm amazing you were able to eyeball it with such accuracy, Ann," Makoto's voice echoed downstairs.
"I know, right?" Ann said. "…There we go. It's on."
"What the-!? This barely covers anything!"
"That's normal for a swimsuit," Loona said. "If you think this is revealing, wait until you see one of mine."
'Loona… in a swimsuit…' Collin's thoughts drifted off as he started to blush. 'Her fur dripping with sea water as she come out of the ocean… dripping down her tall, modest body…' The angel went completely red before burying his face in the booth seat.
"What's with him?" Ryuji asked, only getting a shrug of confusion from Ren.
"Now, we just need to push these a little more this way…" Ann said. Futaba gave a yelp.
"Push…?" Ryuji questioned.
"Are you supposed to move them with that much force?" Octavia questioned.
"You gotta put some oomph into this stuff… There! Good to go!" Ann said.
"Whoa, even I'm impressed!" Futaba said.
"I wonder what they're doing up there," Ryuji said.
"They're… having her try on the swimsuit, right? What else could they be doing?" Morgana questioned.
"Pure thoughts… think pure thoughts…" Collin muttered to himself.
"Futaba in a swimsuit, hm…?" Yusuke mused. "I suspect that would make a great painting. Perhaps we should ask Makoto about it?"
"Go for it, Ryuji," Ren said.
"Me!?" the blonde pointed at himself in shock.
"I humbly request you do so as well," Yusuke nodded.
"Hell no!" Ryuji shouted.
"You guys are such children," Morgana sighed.
"What's with all the ruckus upstairs?" Sojiro asked. "Something about a swimsuit?"
"Yeah, we're going to the beach pretty soon so they're trying some swimsuits out," Ryuji explained.
"Futaba's going to the beach… I didn't think I'd ever see her taking that much interest in going outside again…" Sojiro said.
"Well then, it seems we're good to go with the swimsuit," Makoto said.
"All flattery aside, I think it looks really great!" Ann complimented. "Now you just gotta get rid of those round shoulders. Come on, straighten out your back."
"R-Right…" Futaba nodded.
"She might be some trouble, but I hope she can make some great memories with you guys," Sojiro said.
Ann: We've got swimsuits! We're totally ready to hit the beach!
Octavia: Good thing I had Mom send over some more summer clothes recently. I usually keep my swimsuit at our summer villa.
Loona: Wow, flaunting that privilege aren't you, princess?
Octavia: Like you won't enjoy it if our dads decide to do more than just screwing each other.
Loona: …Eh, fair enough.
Makoto: ANYWAYS, all that's left is for Futaba to prepare herself mentally.
Futaba: I can do this. I can… I think. Maybe.
Yusuke: So you're not confident.
Futaba: Shuddup, Inari.
Ryuji: Ah, it's finally starting to feel like summer vacation.
Makoto: Still, I've been thinking about some things now that matters have calmed down a little more…
Ren: Like what?
Makoto: The psychotic breakdowns, cognitive psience… And the one in the black mask.
Ren: I wonder who they are.
Octavia: I wonder the same thing, along with if it has a connection to that mysterious biker we met in Mementos…
Ann: Do you think they're going for the same thing we are?
Makoto: That said, we don't have enough information right now… We'll need to investigate more.
Futaba: I'll help out too.
Ryuji: Can we talk about this some other time? I'm so damn sleepy…
Collin: OK, good night then! Futaba, good luck tomorrow too!
[***]
August 27
"So, what should we do today?" Collin asked. It was just the boys and Futaba in Leblanc at the moment.
"Let's see…" Ryuji thought. "Wanna eat together? Y'know, like how we had hot pot that one time."
"That would be a good idea. It'll be a great way to strengthen our intrasquad friendships," Yusuke nodded.
"I-I can do that!" Futaba said.
"Okay, I'll take a cola and an omelette with rice. Oh, and make it a large please," Ryuji requested.
"I'd like the same," Yusuke added.
"Do you have the money?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"No, but this is for Futaba's sake," Yusuke replied.
"…I can buy the food this time," Collin offered.
"I want the same. Extra large," Futaba said. The cherub went to get them all food, and after some time they were all done eating. "Ah, I ate loads!"
"Damn, Futaba! I'm impressed!" Ryuji gaped.
"Indeed, your appetite is quite nice to see. I much prefer that to women who don't eat a lot," Yusuke mused.
"…You'd better not be hitting on me," Futaba warned, and Collin swore there was a hit of red in her eyes that flashed as she said it.
"How rude!" Yusuke was taken aback.
"Sojiro, help me!" Futaba pleaded.
"Will you stop that!?" Yusuke demanded.
"So does this mean… her training's going good?" Ryuji asked.
"I think so," Collin shrugged.
"It's not a failure," Ren said.
"I guess that's not bad…" Ryuji managed a smile.
"Hey, let me make you guys some after-meal coffee. It's on me," Sojiro offered.
"Thank you, Sojiro-san," Collin said.
"I want iced cocoa!" Futaba said.
"You can't handle bitter stuff either, right? Iced cocoa sound good?'" Sojiro asked the group.
"Yeah, definitely! Extra cold, please!" Ryuji said.
"Hm, I don't think we've ever had a lunch this lively," Sojiro mused.
"Mm-hm! It's lots of fun!" Futaba agreed.
Ryuji: Hey, whaddya think we should do about the beach trip? Does it look like she can go soon?
Ann: Well, she HAS started to talk a lot more.
Makoto: She's made great progress compared to how she was at the beginning.
Yusuke: Thoughts, Futaba? Will you be able to do this tomorrow perhaps?
Futaba: Tomorrow!? That's too soon. I wanna prepare myself.
Ren: Don't force it.
Futaba: I think I can do it if I get a little more time. I should be good if it's the day after tomorrow. I think?
Ryuji: We'll go the day after tomorrow then!
Octavia: Just let us know if you aren't up for it, Futaba. OK?
Futaba: It's all right. I can do this.
[***]
Hifumi: I'll be at the church again today. However… I… I'd like to speak with you, if that's all right.
Ren: I'll be right there.
Hifumi: OK, I'll be waiting at the church.
"Did you feel like Hifumi's message was a bit off tonight?" Collin asked, shaking off the rain water from his hair as he and Ren entered the church.
"Yeah, I noticed it too," Ren nodded. The two found Hifumi in her usual spot, looking a bit down.
She sighed as she saw her friends approaching. "I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood for a match right now… I can't teach you shogi right now… or rather, from now on… I'm… at checkmate right now. My only option is to concede… but… I can't seem to give up… I'm not sure what my next move is after this checkmate…"
'Oh Hifumi…' Collin thought with worry.
"Hm… You can't figure out your next move…" Ren thought aloud. "I can help you think of the next step."
Hifumi looked at him in surprise. "What…? You'll help me think…? Thank you…!" The three sat down to discuss matters. "Before we play… I'd like to talk to you about something. My mother told me that I should lose my upcoming exhibition match against the pro…"
"What!? But… why would she ask you to do that?" Collin questioned.
Hifumi sighed. It's a "strategy" she devised… She says that if I lose to a man, I'll get sympathy from women, and as a result get more female fans. Then when I make my comeback, I'll be a symbol for strong women everywhere. That way, I can use the weekly magazine's popularly against them and instantly become famous."
Collin blinked before slapping and hand over his face. "That sounds… incredibly sexist and demeaning towards you. And wouldn't you get female fans from beating a guy in shogi anyway…?"
"Agreed. That won't work," Ren added.
"I wish I could agree, but… I feel my mother may be right. People do love a good comeback story," Hifumi said. "Coming from the TV industry, my mother does have great insight for entertainment. This time around… I couldn't help but argue. It's the wrong thing to do… I actually got into a fight with my mother. It wasn't the first time, but… What made me sad was… I realized my mother doesn't see me as a shogi player…"
Hifumi looked down. "She said that there's no need for me to be putting so much time and effort into shogi… And that once I become famous I can quit shogi and make money from my looks."
"That's horrible! You can't give up on your dreams like that!" Collin gasped.
"The only reason she continues to support my shogi career is so she can profit off of me as an idol. She doesn't mind if I lose a match, as long as I build my reputation and make money," Hifumi explained. "To my mother, shogi is just a vehicle to make me famous… However, losing on purpose is wrong! Even if it helped me to become famous and eased my parents' burden… I don't want to turn my back on shogi… a game that both my father and I love…"
Ren and Collin shared a knowing look before the leader of the Phantom Thieves replied, "Let's make her reconsider."
"…If only that where possible. She's the type of woman who never changes her mind… She wants to achieve her unfulfilled dream of becoming a celebrity… through me," Hifumi said. "I highly doubt she would ever reconsider…"
"What about the Phantom Thieves?" Collin suggested. "Couldn't they help?"
"Phantom Thieves…? The rumors going around school said something about them…" Hifumi recalled. She shook her head. "But I don't know if they could do anything about this…"
"Humor us. What's your mother's name?" Ren asked.
"It's… Mitsuyo Togo," Hifumi said hesitantly. "But what does that have to do with what we're talking about…?"
"If we're lucky, you make just get that change from your mother…" Ren said.
"Oh… Well then, I guess that's it for tonight…" Hifumi said.
As Ren and Collin left the church, they vowed to help Hifumi and change the heart of her mother. 'A lot of my friends have mom issues, huh?' Ren thought.
[***]
August 28
With only a day left before the beach trip, Octavia, Loona, and Collin decided to spend the day at Leblanc hanging out with Ren and Futaba. The former was working with Sojiro at the counter today, while the latter was getting to know Collin since the cherub hadn't gotten as much personal time with her as the others.
"So, is everything in the Bible true?" Futaba asked in hushed whispers. "I gotta know if I'm getting my occult knowledge right."
"Well, I wouldn't call the word of God "occult"…" Collin said nervously. "But for the most part, yes, though to be fair humans may have changed what certain interpretations mean over the centuries as language and cultures shifted."
"Oh… So what's Jesus like?" Futaba asked. "Are you guys besties?"
"J-Just because I'm an angel doesn't mean I personally know the Son," Collin replied.
"Is Lucifer really a hot guy?" Futaba questioned.
"First of all, that interpretation comes from "Paradise Lost" which isn't officially recognized by the church," Collin corrected.
"But if the Goetia and stuff exist, then some of that stuff has to have some truth to it, right?" Futaba asked.
"I mean, it does… but I've never met Lucifer, so I don't think I can judge if he's "hot" or not…" Collin said. "I don't even like boys that way…"
"You can be straight and still apricate the male figure," Ren commented.
"I can answer that," Loona said, taking a seat across from them. "Old Lucy-Boy looks like a fucking clown."
"A clown?" Futaba tilted her head.
Loona nodded. "Yep. White face, bright red cheeks, obnoxious smile, and I'm pretty sure he single-handedly brought top hats and bowties back into fashion."
"What's wrong with bowties…?" Collin muttered.
"There's nothing wrong with bowties, I guess, but I swear that like every other person you see on the street in Pride is wearing either a bowtie, a top hat, or both. Especially if they're of a high-ranking status," Loona replied.
"Bowties and top hats"…I'll add that to my notes later," Futaba said as she typed up something on her phone.
"You want anything Futaba?" Sojiro called from the counter.
"Orange juice. 100% natural," Futaba replied.
"That reminds me, you're going to the beach tomorrow, yeah? Go have fun, and make up for the fireworks. Just try not to cut loose too much," Sojiro said.
"Fireworks?" Futaba repeated.
"Right, you weren't there. We wanted to go to a fireworks festival, but it got rained out on us," Loona explained. "Luckily Via managed to turn it around with a live stream from space?"
"Really now?" Sojiro said in surprise.
Octavia nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, my dad works in astronomy, so he gave us access to some extraterrestrial satellite footage to watch back at my place."
"It was pretty… out of this world," Ren said knowingly.
"Fireworks, huh…" Futaba mused.
It was then that a customer came in, and to the surprise of everyone, it was Akechi! "Hello," the detective greeted.
"Oh… welcome," Sojiro replied.
Akechi looked at Ren and Octavia in surprise. "Oh! You're…"
Sojiro looked between the three. "Huh? You know each other? Wait, aren't you…"
"I'm Akechi," Akechi introduced himself.
"Oh yeah, that one on TV and stuff," Sojiro recognized. "So what brings you here, Mr. Detective?"
"This place is more than I imagined it to be. The atmosphere is wonderful," Akechi said, looking around the café. "No wonder Sae-san recommended it so strongly to me."
Sojiro's eyes went wide at the name before hardening his gaze. "I already told her everything I know. There's nothing more I got for you people."
"Oh no, that's not my intention. I just came to enjoy some coffee," Akechi said with a smile.
"Oh…" Sojiro said.
Akechi noticed Futaba, who had chosen to hide behind Ren when Akechi came in. "And she is…?"
"This is Futaba, Boss' kid," Ren said.
"Oh, you must be Wakaba Isshiki's…" Akechi started to say.
"How do you…?" Octavia stood up, starting with accusing eyes at the boy.
"What'll it be?" Sojiro cut both of them off.
"I'll have whatever you recommend," Akechi said.
"Coming right up," Sojiro said.
As Akechi sat down, Octavia grabbed his arm and whispered, "How do you know Futaba's mother?"
"…Sae-san had mentioned Isshiki before during our investigation of the Phantom Thieves. She was a lead scientist in the field of cognitive psience if you didn't know. I'd heard she had a daughter, and that the owner of this café had a connection to Isshiki. That is all." Octavia didn't know if she fully believed that story but let go of Akechi's arm as Sojiro set the detective's coffee down. "It seems I'm unwelcome no matter where I go."
"That's surprising," Ren said.
Akechi let out a sigh and looked down. "…Did I bother you? My apologizes. Apparently, my mother was in a relationship with some low-life of a man… She was swiftly discarded when he learned she was pregnant… that despair would lead to her death. Thanks to him, I was passed from foster home to foster home. But, I do quite well by myself these days."
Both Futaba and Loona looked away as Akechi gave his story. They both knew his pain: for Futaba, losing a mother, and for Loona, getting passed around in the foster system.
Akechi took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, yes. DHORKS… To think a prominent organization could be taken down by a simple hacker. I'm not sure whether DHORKS was defeated by the Phantom Thieves themselves or an avid supporter…" He looked at Futaba. "Um, you're… Futaba-chan, right? Sae-san told me about you. Many kids your age seem to be fans of the Phantom Thieves… Do you like them too?"
Futaba didn't give him an answer. "What's the matter?" Akechi asked.
"…You're popular too, Ace Detective Akechi," Futaba said.
Akechi laughed. "Thank you. Although I'd rather not be compared to people like the Phantom Thieves, if at all possible." He took another sip of his coffee. "Mm, this is delicious. You get to drink this coffee every day? I'm incredibly jealous. I would never have thought you'd be boarding at this café, Ren… We seem to share some kind of bond."
"It's just a coincidence," Ren shrugged.
Akechi laughed. "Your boldness surprises me at times. I believe that fate brings people together. It's strange, but talking to you is thought-provoking. Well… I think I found my go-to café."
After Akechi left, Loona looked to Futaba with concern. "Hey, you okay? I know that guy is kinda annoying, but you looked like you were taking personal offence to him being here or something?"
Futaba looked away, her glasses hiding her feelings. "…I just… have suspicions… nothing confirmed yet, but…" She shook her head. "It's nothing to worry about."
'Akechi knowing about Wakaba is weird to me as well, even if he is on the Phantom Thieves case,' Octavia thought. 'In time, I'm sure Futaba will open up to us about it.'
Ryuji: All right, we're going to the beach tomorrow!
Ann: I've been anticipating this for so long!
Makoto: We'll be entrusting care of Futaba to you, Ren.
Ren: All right.
Futaba: I'll be good on my own, y'know.
Yusuke: I only ask that you try not to get separated from each other in the crowd, OK?
Futaba: No worries. I've already made preparations for when that happens.
Loona: And I can just sniff you out if those don't work.
Octavia: The benefits of having a hellhound friend, am I right?
[***]
Chihaya: Do you remember what I told you last time? It's about that man who visited the other day. That was Chairman Fukarai… Well, I'd like to talk to you about him. Are you free today?
Ren: I'll be right there.
Chihaya: Great! We can talk after I close up shop. Stop by then!
"Why do you buy those gross smoothies?" Octavia questioned, wincing as Ren coughed from the rancid taste.
"It's for… the health benefits…" Ren gagged.
"You know, I bet if Bee-lzebub made health drink, she'd make a killing," Octavia mused.
"I think Loona is friends with someone named Bee. Think it's the same person?" Ren asked.
"Loona, friends with the Queen of Gluttony?" Octavia questioned. "I mean, she is known as one of the most sociable of the Ring Lords, but I have reason to doubt Loona's friend is the same as Bee-lzebub… Oh look, Chihaya is waiting for us over there." The two greeted their friend and sat down on the bench next to her.
"So, I've been thinking a lot about our last meeting, and… I wasn't completely honest with you," Chihaya admitted. "But I've decided: I'm going to tell you everything about Fukarai-san. As well as the real reason I decided to leave my village… I already told you about how it was a small, traditional town tucked away in the mountains, right? Well when I was young, I predicted a major earthquake. The villagers revered me as a messenger of God… But when I kept predicting disasters, they started blaming me for everything. They said I was cursed, a monster…"
She looked down. "So I locked myself away. People would still by to throw stones through the windows though… Things went on like that for some time… until one day, an angry mob came and burned the house down. That's why I decided to come to Tokyo after graduating high school. I wanted to change my fate… I didn't know anyone, but I needed money… so I took the first job I could find at a small nightclub…"
"So you working there was true," Octavia said.
Chihaya nodded. "I found myself surrounded by dangerous people… but that's when Fukarai-san approached me. He's a psychic too, you know. He knew from a mere glance I was a runaway who had just come to Tokyo. Then once I told him why I decided to leave my village, he immediately invited me to join up with the ADP. That was when he gave me the moniker of the Maiden of Relief. He told me that I possessed a divine power to save others from misfortune… That I could become more than the monster people saw me as. I… broke down the moment he said that."
She laughed a bit before frowning. "Deep down, I knew all along that the holy Stones didn't have any divine powers… But I thought I might be able to save people, even though I was a monster. Or perhaps because I was a monster… So the truth is, I was only ever selling those Holy Stones for my own personal benefit… I'm a terrible person, huh?"
"I don't think so," Ren shook his head.
"What…? My fortune said you're supposed to hate me…" Chihaya said in surprise. I never thought you would overturn even that fate, Amamiya-san…" She stood up tall. "You know what? I see now how wrong I was. I'm not going to keep turning a blind eye to injustice! I'm going to expose the chairman's fraudulent activities and wake the other members up to the truth! Thank you so much for listening to me today… If there's ever anything you need to talk about, I'd be glad to return the favor, Amamiya-san, Goetia-san."
'I can sense a strong resolve from Chihaya…' Octavia thought. 'And also… that power of fortune within her… could it be hiding something even she doesn't know about her origin…?'
"Now that I think about it though, just saying the Holy Stones are powerless won't convince people," Chihaya realized. "The ADP holds what they call "seminars" for believers… but it's really just brainwashing. That's why everyone things they'll be unhappy without a Holy Stone. Honestly, I don't hold any sway there, even though I'm the Maiden of Relief… Just who is the chairman…?"
"You'll figure out how to go about this, I'm sure of it," Octavia said.
Chihaya gave her a smile. "Let me think it over some more. We can talk further next time. Well, thank you again for today!"
[***]
August 29
The day of the trip had arrived, and the Phantom Thief boys were lounging by a table as they waited for the girls to get changed into their swimsuits. Ren had blue trunks, Ryuji had red trunks, Yusuke had blue trunks with white polka dots and a white hoodie to protect his skin, and Collin had a blue and purple striped one-piece swimsuit. "Man, it's packed…" Ryuji said as he looked out towards the beach.
"Sorry for the wait," Ann said as she and the girls arrived. The blonde was wearing a multi-colored bikini, Makoto had a white frilled bikini, Octavia wore a pink and black one-piece swimsuit with a black shawl and matching sunhat (complete with crown accessory), and Loona had a red bikini top with the same pentagram design as her casual clothes along with a two-strap bikini bottom that left little for the imagination.
'Oh no… She's even hotter that my fantasies!' Collin bemoaned in his mind, his entire face going red as he wished to be struck down by God at that very moment.
"Like what you see… Lambchop?" Loona asked, tossing back her hair as she crossed her arms.
"I… uh… ugh…" Collin proceeded to faint at that moment. "So much skin… so… sinful…"
"I think you broke him…" Octavia sighed.
Collin wasn't the only boy that was turned on by the girl's appearance, as Ryuji got a particular pervy look on his face as he eyed up an. "Ha! Got a better opinion of me now?" Ann laughed, much to Ryuji's confusion. "Come on, cat got your tongue?"
"Aren't we missing someone…?" Ren noted.
"I'm right here, Ren!" Morgana said, popping out of the bookbag that Octavia was carrying. The not-cat was wearing a floral bandana that the princess had picked out for him.
"Wait, were you in Octavia's bag the whole time!?" Ann said in shock.
"How else was I gonna get here?" Morgana questioned. "But not to worry, Lady Ann, I stayed in the bag the entire time to give you girls your privacy." He blushed a bit. "And you do look lovely was always, Lady Ann…"
"I was actually talking about Futaba," Ren said, rubbing the back of his head.
"She's still in the changing room," Loona said. The gang turned the changing rooms just as Futaba started to take cautious steps out into the summer sun. She was wearing a yellow frilled bikini with strawberry print… and also had a towel wrapped entirely around her head. "…Oh boy…"
"This is perfect!" Futaba said, her voice muffled by the towel as she stumbled her way forward.
"There's nothing perfect about that," Loona shook her head, grabbing Futaba before she could wander off. "Just… stay still for a second. You'll be fine, promise." The hellhound removed the towel, Futaba's hair falling into place as she looked around nervously. The hacker girl looked to see Ren and Loona giving her reassuring smiles and returning it back to them.
With their day at the beach now ready to commence (after Makoto managed to get Collin to wake up), the gang picked out a spot on the beach to stake out. "It's so hooooot…" Ryuji wined.
"There's a lot of people here… Are you okay, Futaba?" Makoto asked.
"I'm fine. You guys are here," Futaba replied.
"It's almost lunchtime," Morgana said, lounging in an inner tube next to Octavia as she read a book.
"Why don't we eat lunch too?" Ann suggested.
"I'll go get some stuff for us then," Ryuji offered.
Futaba opened up her back and pulled out some of Sojiro's curry. "You're eating that even here!?" Yusuke said in shock.
"My staple food," Futaba said. Ryuji went to get food (with Octavia's card, of course) and soon the Phantom Thieves were enjoying some beachside food.
"This should be a familiar flavor, yet how does it taste so good?" Yusuke wondered.
"What's wrong, Makoto? You're not eating much?" Collin asked.
"Oh, um…" Makoto looked at him in surprise.
"Not feeling well or something?" Ryuji asked.
"You just don't get it, do you, Ryuji?" Morgana said. "When a girl is in a swimsuit, she wants to look as slim as possible. Still, you're worrying too much. Did you make sure to eat breakfast?"
"Mona lacks tact," Futaba noted.
"So, what are gonna do now? Should we play some beach volleyball?" Loona suggested, cracking her knuckles.
"I just want to read my book…" Octavia said.
"Us girls already made plans to ride a banana boat," Ann said.
"We could only rent a three-person one. Sorry," Makoto apologized.
"Wait… Then what about us?" Ryuji asked.
"Volley. Ball," Loona said. "Come on, Ryuji, you know you want to."
"I'll keep an eye on your stuff with Morgana," Octavia said.
"Volleyball it is then…" Ryuji sighed, crossing his arms. "Still, this is totally unfair, you girls going off and doing stuff without us. We're celebrities making headlines! You should treat us better."
"I do think they're not bad in the Metaverse, but in reality… Strange, isn't it?" Makoto mused.
"They can steal treasures, but they don't seem like they can steal a girl's heart at all," Ann said.
"B-But… Lady Ann…" Morgana said, crestfallen. Octavia tried to comfort him with some head pats.
"Can we get to the banana boat already?" Futaba asked.
"Oh, sorry. We'll go now," Makoto said.
"We'll switch when we're done. Keep an eye on our stuff, Via!" Ann said as the three human girls walked off.
"Damnit… They don't get how amazing we are," Ryuji sighed.
"Speak for yourself. I'm awesome," Loona grinned. "But you… Yeah, no sex appeal at all."
"We risk our lives being Phantom Thieves. There's no way we're the same as other guys around here," Ryuji stated. "Shouldn't we be having more good times in reality too!?"
"I don't care," Ren said.
"Yeah, because Ren is the only one of you guys that can actually get some," Loona said, giving him a flirty growl. Collin couldn't help but frown at that gesture.
"We're special, man. Don't you agree, Yusuke?" Ryuji asked.
"Well… If you put it that way, you may be right," Yusuke said.
"The girls don't get it because they're always around us," Ryuji guessed.
"We're literally right here," Octavia said, narrowing her eyes.
"Octavia, how do I- I mean, we get Lady Ann to notice how amazing we are as Phantom Thieves?" Morgana asked.
"Either you turn into a human or she turns into a cat," Octavia shrugged. "…And no, I don't have a spell for either of those. The human disguise spell only works on yourself, not others."
"Well, we gotta steal… you-know-what," Ryuji said.
"Treasure?" Collin suggested.
"Hearts?" Yusuke guessed.
"Swimsuits?" Ren added with a shit-eating grin.
"Hah, nice!" Loona laughed, giving Ren a high-five.
"I'm pretty sure you'd get arrested for that…" Collin muttered.
"What we're gonna steal in reality is… girls' hearts," Ryuji stated.
"That is the dumbest idea I've heard," Octavia shook her head. "Just be yourself, Morgana, and I'm sure you can win Ann's heart."
"If you guys want to win hearts, why don't we just do beach volleyball, like I suggested?" Loona said. "Girls like strong guys when they get all sweaty, and I'm sure our time in the Metaverse will give us the edge in beating anyone we challenge."
"But I can't play volleyball…" Morgana sighed.
"Just stay with me, Morgana. It'll be fine," Octavia assured him.
"Well… I guess playing volleyball can show off our skills… Yeah, let's steal some hearts with the skills we honed as Phantom Thieves! I'm sure girls will be all over us, considering the vibe we give off!" Ryuji cheered.
"Very well, let's do this. Pulling off our work in reality doesn't sound bad," Yusuke nodded.
"I think I'll just go build a sandcastle or something…" Collin said, only to get grabbed by Loona.
"Nope, you're coming with us, Lambchop," the hellhound said. "We have to get rid of your zero-sex-appeal as well. Ren, show these guys how to actually steal hearts!"
"I'll do my best," Ren nodded.
"All right, let's hurry up and go!" Ryuji said as the rest of the gang sans Morgana and Octavia went off to the volleyball court. With the group gone, the princess brought Morgana over into her lap, giving him some comforting pets.
"…I really want to be human soon," Morgana sighed.
"Would being a cat be the worst thing?" Octavia questioned.
"Of course, because I'm not a cat! And if I was a cat… then what use am I to all of you?" Morgana retorted.
"Morgana, you're the one that really brought us all together. You helped Ren refine his Persona skills, and you brought be and Loona into the fold as well," Octavia stated. "You're the coolest transportation I've ever rode in, the best wind mage I've ever met, and you're pretty cute and charming whenever you're not trying to look cool in front of Ann."
"Y-You think I'm cool?" Morgana said with a blush.
"The coolest," Octavia giggled. "But don't let that get to your head. I promised to help you become a human, but if we can't do that, then I'll find another way to give you the life you want to live, and I know Ren and the others would be willing to help with that as well."
"Having hands would be nice," Morgana sighed.
"Maybe we can at least see if we can get you into your Metaverse shape here in the real world," Octavia mused. "As for Ann… I can't help you there, but if you show her your best, true self, then maybe she'll one day return your feelings."
"…Thanks, Omen," Morgana said with a smile. "So, what are we reading today?"
"A fascinating children's book I found that interested me," Octavia said. "It's all about this pink alligator…"
[***]
With the boys and Loona, the quintet was off at the volleyball court, facing off against some students from out of town that had come to Tokyo for summer vacation. "Sure you don't want to play, Yusuke?" Ren asked.
"I think I'll sit this game out," Yusuke said. "I saw something earlier that took my interest."
"Suit yourself," Loona shrugged.
"Have any of you guys played volleyball before?" Collin asked.
"I did in gym class here," Loona said. "Collin, Ryuji, I want you two on the back line. Ren, you're up front with me since we're taller and can spike the ball back easier."
"Got it," Ren nodded.
"We don't have all day!" the other team called.
"We're coming, do get your boxers twisted!" Loona shouted back. She tossed Ryuji the ball, letting him serve it up. Once the other team sent it over the net, Loona moved quickly and jumped up, slamming the ball with great force that it slammed right into a guy's gut, pounding him into the sand.
"My abs! I… I think you broke them!" the guy cried.
"It's just a flesh wound. Don't be a baby about it," Loona rolled her eyes.
"Come on, man, you're making us look bad in front of the babes," of the crying guy's friends said.
"Hey, there are some chicks watching," Ryuji noted. "Come on Ren, Collin, we gotta make ourselves look good!"
"R-Right…" Collin gulped.
To say the match was a massacre would be putting it lightly. Loona was merciless with her spikes, though she let the boys get some moments to hit the ball as well, if only to satiate Ryuji's ego. Ren's demonic abilities let him perceive the ball in slow-motion, making clutch plays that would have been impossible for a normal human. Ryuji's strength did wonders for getting the ball to go where they wanted, and Collin even got a few hits in, though half the time was also scared of getting hit in the face by the ball.
"Take… this!" Loona shouted, spiking the ball with such force that it caught on fire and left a large hole in the sand as it hit the ground.
"It's over… we're finished…" one of their opponents said in despair.
"That's right, and you'll never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" Loona laughed evilly.
"She scares me sometimes…" Ryuji said nervously, getting a nod from Ren. "But hey, looks like those girls over there are looking at us!"
As the blonde dragged his friend over to check out the girls, Collin stayed behind as Loona turned to him with a smile. "You did pretty god out there, Lambchop. Do they got sports up in Heaven or something?"
"I'm just light on my feet is all…" Collin said humbly. "Y-You did great too, Loona."
"Hell yeah I did," Loona nodded. She wiped some sweat from her brow before stretching. "You know, after all this time we've been on a team together, I think I can call you a friend now, Collin."
"Really?" the cherub said in surprise.
"Yeah. You're more tolerable than ninety percent of anyone I've ever met, and having an angel as a friend could be useful in the future, if only to piss my dad off," Loona chuckled.
"Oh, well… I think I'm warming up to being friends with you- and Octavia too!" Collin said, adding the last part in quickly as he blushed. "Um, so… Maybe we should make sure Ryuji doesn't humiliate himself in front of those girls?"
"A bit too late for that," Loona shook her head as she looked over to see Ryuji hanging his head low as the girls walked off.
"Man, not even showing off our muscles worked…" Ryuji sighed.
"Like Futaba said: zero sex appeal," Loona laughed.
"Shut up… Girls have it so easy," Ryuji grumbled.
"By the way, where did Yusuke go?" Ren wondered, looking around for their artistic friend.
[***]
Back at their beach base, Octavia was reading aloud to Morgana when Yusuke walked up with two lobsters in his hands. "Yusuke, what're you doing with those lobsters?" Morgana asked.
"While everyone else was busy playing volleyball, I found these beautiful specimens on sale," Yusuke explained. "And so, I decided to spend the last of my money on them."
"Man, you're real hopeless when it comes to cash…" Morgana sighed.
"But even with the sale, why lobsters?" Octavia asked.
"I was entranced. The moment I set eyes on this distinct shape, I was in love," Yusuke said. "I haven't had my very core shaken as vigorously as this since the first time Ann entered my gaze."
"You better not let Ann hear you comparing her to a lobster…" Octavia giggled. "But good for you, Yusuke.
It was then that the rest of the gang showed back up to their location. "Oh, are those lobsters? One in each hand!" Futaba said, fascinated by the crustaceans.
"I was wondering about that myself," Ann said.
"Are we gonna make grilled lobster? That sounds great right about now," Loona said, licking her lips.
"Oh, or sashimi! That would work too!" Morgana chimed in.
"Enough of your vile postulations! These are purely for the sake of visual appreciation!" Yusuke said.
"We did tons of stuff today. All in al, I guess coming to the beach was pretty worth it!" Ryuji said with a smile.
"Yeah, it was," Ren agreed. The gang spent the rest of their time together playing in the water, making sculptures in the sand, and Makoto and Loona have a match to see who had the better volleyball spike (it turned out to be a tie if you were wondering). They spent the entire day at the beach, ending it by sitting near the water and watching the sunset.
"We should probably start heading home," Octavia said.
"Agreed. Let's pack up," Yusuke nodded.
"Futaba seemed fine in the crowd too, so it looks like she's overcome her last exercise," Ann said.
"Hey, Futaba! We're heading out! Make sure you don't leave anything behind," Loona called.
Futaba crouched down by the water. "You know… All this time, I thought that it was my fault that my mom died."
"Uh-huh…" Collin said solemnly.
"It's because everyone said that I killed her. Everyone looked at me thinking I was a murderer," Futaba went on. "I ended up hating this world. That's why I shut myself in and covered my ears. I wished… I wished my mom would come back to life. Sometimes, I'd wake up and this it was all a dream. But nothing had changed in the world. That's why I'd sleep again. It'd be a repeat of that…"
"Ah…" Octavia sighed.
"I loved my mom. I wanted to become like her. How she'd work late into the night. How she'd wake up early and make me a boxed lunch every day," Futaba reminisced. "How she'd do her best to further her research. How she'd scold me for peeking at her notes."
"It was cognitive psience, wasn't it?" Makoto recalled.
"The cognitive world can become distorted through desires. If it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. That cognitive world disappears when you remove its core, and further problematic actions stop," Futaba recited.
"Isn't that about Palaces?" Ann said in shock.
"That's the Metaverse! She knew about that?" Morgana questioned.
"It made no sense back then, but now I understand, after it actually happened to me," Futaba said. "All I thought about was my mom. I was trapped in a cognitive labyrinth. I couldn't get out of it. There was nothing I could do by myself."
"That's why you asked us to steal your heart? That's a huge jump in logic in so many ways!" Ryuji said.
"At first, I didn't believe the rumors about the Phantom Thieves… That they steal hearts. But I overheard you accidentally. I learned that you were near me," Futaba explained.
"Overhead? Ah, the bug…" Yusuke recalled. "So why were you listening in on Leblanc in the first place?"
"I had to keep an eye on Sojiro. Make sure he was actually working," Futaba replied.
"Talk about an awful hobby…" Loona laughed.
"You talked about stealing hearts. When I heard that, I was so happy I jumped up and down. I thought, maybe the Phantom Thieves can cure my heart," Futaba said.
"You could have just told us from the start," Octavia pointed out.
"You might've been wary of me if I asked out of nowhere. And besides, you had real demons on your side, and I thought you might come after me in the real world it I asked straight out," Futaba explained. "That's why I cautiously got in contact with you. I checked many times to see how you'd react."
"Yes, you had us twisted around your little finger," Makoto said with amusement.
"But, Futaba, you didn't talk to anyone besides Boss for a long time, right? You must've need a lot of courage to contact the Phantom Thieves," Collin pointed out.
"…There were two reasons for it. One was DHORKS taunt. The Phantom Thieves were so pitiful, it frustrated me. I wouldn't been in trouble if they got disbanded too…" Futaba said.
"Indeed. You were our only hope," Yusuke nodded.
Futaba continued, "The other was what I heard through wiretapping in Leblanc. Sojiro was being blamed with lies, like abusing me… He was being threatened to spill everything about my mom…"
"Talk about making shit up," Loona scoffed.
"It made me sad, and it hurt," Futaba said. "I thought, I had to save Sojiro. I gotta do something."
"So that's why…" Ann whispered.
"But the Phantom Thieves… I didn't think you guys would be taking such risks for me," Futaba admitted. "I didn't think you'd worry about me so much. I'm sorry that I acted like I doubted you guys."
"Do you believe in us now?" Octavia asked.
"Yeah, I can tell. You aren't bad guys, even if two and a half of you are demons," Futaba said with a nod. "That's why I have a request. Let me join your team."
"There's nothing to join. You're already one of us," Ryuji pointed out.
"I'll be honest. Changing people's hearts isn't my goal. I want to learn what happened to my mom…" Futaba said. "The reason why she was killed."
"Killed?" Collin repeated.
"It was written in her notes. Should the self in the cognitive world die, the self in the real world will lose consciousness…" Futaba said.
"Is this about mental shutdowns?" Octavia asked. "I'd made guesses about that fact, but if your mother said it was true in her notes… Well, I'm inclined to say it's true then. And the Black Mask figure…"
"Yes, that could be the case," Makoto agreed. "I don't like pursuing this line of thought, but perhaps your mother's Shadow was…"
"I don't know for sure… But, right before my mom died, she didn't seem right," Futaba said.
"In what way?" Ren asked.
"No matter how much I talk to her, she wouldn't answer back. And she didn't jump into the road. It was more like she collapsed and fell in…" Futaba recalled. "That's why I thought what was written in the notes was real and looked into it. I read books, checked theses that were released online… I even snuck into the networks of various research labs to look at their classified data."
"That's why you're good at hacking… What kind of brain do you have?" Ryuji questioned.
"But, I didn't figure anything out. My mom's research was nowhere to be found," Futaba explained. "She was killed by someone, and her research was treated like it never existed. I bet it's them… Those adults in the black suits who read the fake suicide note. I'll never forgive them."
"Futaba…" Loona said.
"If I stay with you guys, I think I can find out more about that world. Then eventually, it even lead to those men in black. It's a super-personal reason why I wanna join you… Is that okay? Or would that just be dead weight?" Futaba asked.
"If anything you're dependable. Ain't that right, Mona?" Ryuji said.
"Why are you looking at me? Are you trying to say I'm inadequate?" Morgana accused.
"Well, she was more useful than you, as a matter of fact," Ryuji said. Octavia scowled and gave the blonde a swift slap across the face. "Ow! What the eff!?"
"You shouldn't talk about Morgana or any of our teammates like that. All of us equally pull our weight here," Octavia warned. "That kind of behavior is inexcusable."
"Oh yeah, not like you're always stepping up and defending the cat," Ryuji rolled his eyes.
"I am not a cat!" Morgana shouted.
Makoto sighed as the three got into an argument, with Loona jumping in to cause more chaos. "This is what our Phantom Thieves are like, but I hope we get along, Futaba."
"Thanks," Futaba said with a smile.
"…And you'll be sitting in the back of the Mona Bus next time, jerk!" Octavia huffed as the argument fizzled out.
"Thank you for defending my honor, Octavia," Morgana said, jumping up and resting on her shoulders.
"Why don't we decide on Futaba's code name now that that's over?" Ann suggested.
"What's that?" Futaba asked.
"It's not cool if we call each other by our real names," Loona said with a grin. She pointed between everyone and gave their code names. "Joker, Omen, Mona, Skull, Templar, Panther, Fox, Queen… And I'm Lycan."
"In Futaba's case… "Hacker" wouldn't be right, would it?" Makoto said.
"Mech?" Ann suggested.
"PC?" Yusuke put out there.
"Maybe "Navi"?" Collin said.
Futaba shook her head. "No."
"Why don't we go literal and call her "Goggles"?" Morgana said.
"Super lame. You've got no taste, kitty," Futaba scoffed.
"Haha, in your face!" Ryuji laughed, only to get slapped by Octavia again. "Ow! You could have at least hit my other cheek…"
"And now you're going to be thrown in the trunk space next time…" the princess rolled her eyes. "Do you have any ideas for Futaba's code name, Ren?"
"Pharaoh," Ren said.
"I'll curse you," Futaba warned.
"What would you want it to be, Futaba?" Loona asked.
"Hm… "Oracle." With my vision, I'll guide you all to victory," Futaba said.
"Sounds great," Ann smiled.
"Then, Futaba will be Oracle!" Collin cheered.
"But man, I never even dreamed that the rumored Phantom Thieves would be so close!" Futaba said.
"Same goes to you," Morgana nodded. "To think you'd be the daughter of a Metaverse researcher… Talk about a mysterious fate."
'And possibly the daughter of an Egyptian god as well…' Octavia thought. "Should we get going then?"
"Yup! Let's go home!" Futaba nodded. And with that a day of fun in the sun was over, as well as the twilight of their summer vacation. School would soon be back in session, and with it, a new case for the Phantom Thieves would surely come to light.
Makoto: A criminal who uses the Metaverse to carry out crimes… This is no longer a matter we can ignore.
Octavia: Especially cause they might be the one who killed Futaba's mom. I had considered they might have been behind the psychotic breakdowns… But it appears as though they're also killing people with the Metaverse too.
Futaba: Technically, they're making people have mental shutdowns, which then causes them to die.
Loona: That's just murder with extra steps, you know. Still, that's what happens when you kill someone's Shadow, yeah?
Ann: Mm-hm. We were worried about it back with Kamoshida and Madarame, remember?
Futaba: Psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… It would make sense if the same person was behind them. The news never talks about the victim dying, so people only kenw about the breakdown.
Ryuji: So this shit's seriously a case! If that's for real, whoever's doing it is some kinda assassin!
Futaba: I'm gonna beat the crap outta them…
Yusuke: I would suggest we be more cautious going forward as well. We still don't know much, even about our Metaverse Nav.
Makoto: That is true.
Octavia: I wonder why the Nav exists, especially with how it reacts to demon magic…
Ren: There was a man in my dream…
Ryuji: A dream? You still half asleep, dude?
Collin: I wonder if that criminal is using the app too…
Makoto: Futaba, tis seems like your area of expertise. Do you know anything about it?
Futaba: No, I'd never even heard of it before. I mean, it's not really even an app. It's more lie… a mysterious app-like thing.
Octavia: I see… So that's how Dad's magic was able to affect it…
Futaba: It's OK though. I might not know much about the Nav, but I can still navigate you guys on the path to victory! I'll guide you to whatever criminal you're looking for. Mwehehe… You can rely on me!
Ryuji: Awesome, dude! You're way more reliable than Mona! …Wait WTF!?
Loona: Uh, everything OK over there? I just heard an explosion from Octavia's room?
Octavia: Just sending a message to Ryuji about what'll happen if he keeps ragging on Morgana. Love you Mona 3
Ren: He apricates the gesture.
Ryuji: Aw man, it's gonna take all of my allowance to replace that… And it was my favorite volume as well!
Futaba: lol get rekt XD
Author's Note
This chapter was mostly just the Futaba training arc with the Helluva Boss characters, but I wanted to highlight Loona and Futaba's bond especially in these scenes. They may not know that they're half-sisters yet, but Loona is already taking on the big sister role for Futaba, encouraging her to come out of her shell. Also Loona stealing Futaba's creepy mask and giving to Blitzo to use for pranks is an idea that popped into my head that I couldn't pass up on.
Akechi made a cameo here, giving his backstory and making Octavia more suspicious of him. Collin and Loona also got to tell Futaba a bit about Heaven and Hell, including giving an explanation as to why so many characters have top hats and bowties: Lucifer brought them back into fashion! (But seriously, over half of the male cast in the Hazbinverse wear one or both of those accessories that it's hard to ignore at times...)
And we get the beach episode this time as well! Octavia and Loona's swimsuits are based on the recent 2023 Helluva Boss summer merchandise (though Loona is wearing her hellhound swimsuit since I like how that one looks more than her human one) while Collin's is based on a piece of fan art I saw of the cherub making sandcastles on the beach. Poor Collin was not ready to see Loona in a swimsuit, but the two are getting closer as friends now after bonding during volleyball (and yes, Loona did reference Azula during that scene). The boys didn't go on their babe hunt, but that's mostly because Loona and Octavia called them out on how dumb of an idea that was.
Octavia and Morgana get some time together as well, with the princess assuring her friend that he is valued as a Phantom Thief and reminding him of her promise to help grant his dream of being human. Octavia also calls out Ryuji for antagonizing Morgana during the ending beach scene, which is partially a reflection of my feelings during this part of the story. It's no secret that I prefer Morgana over Ryuji, and this section of the game where Ryuji becomes an asshole towards Morgana just because Futaba joined the team, which just really pisses me off because it's really unprompted and not at all funny, at least to me. It reminds me of how I was bullied in school honestly, so I let Octavia knock the blonde down a few pegs. Hopefully we can avoid the worst arc of the game with Octavia keeping the two in line...
Sorry for that rant, just needed to get it off my chest. Next time we'll be getting back to school and doing some Mementos Missions! (we do have a few to finish now, don't we?)